The teind of Samhain
by LuMar014
Summary: (SweetTooth AU) The time to pay the teind has come. During the night of Halloween, Jamie Bennett finds more than he bargained for. In a race to save his life, he encounters Jack and Bunnymund: two men who know more than they let on. Will he live enough to see the sunrise or will this be his last Halloween?


Hey everyone! Sorry for the inactivity. Life's been busy and trying to keep up with it is quite the challenge. I was preparing this story for Halloween, so sorry for the late entry but I hope you enjoy it none the less :)

**Warnings:** Mentions of blood and injuries (nothing too graphic, but if it is not your cup of tea you better skip it)

* * *

Jamie Bennett sprinted with all his might. The travelled distance not enough to push behind his pursuer. He could hear them: the laughter in the wind, the faint sound of leaves rustling and branches snapping.

They were after him, enjoying the chase. Not close enough to actually catch him, but close enough to remind him that he was doomed if he didn't reach his destination in time.

The park he had visited in his childhood and spent hours playing in with his friends now seemed bigger and completely unfamiliar. He should have already crossed the fountain that stood in the center of the park. Where was this path taking him?

He felt like the trees towered over him, their branches getting caught on his clothes like hands trying to hold him still and slapping his face as he trudged on.

He kept on running, not listening to his aching muscles that were begging for a rest.

A dark chuckle reverberates around him, sending him into a more frenzied sprint.

'_Run. Get out before it's too late.'_, his fight or flight kept screaming at him.

He wasn't supposed to be here. Things like this didn't happen to normal people.

Why had he gotten himself in such a mess?

* * *

_Jamie had been strolling towards his home after the Halloween party at Tucker's house, his zombie costume now in more disarray after a night of revelry._

_He was walking down the sidewalk of the huge park when he heard it; a quiet almost inaudible whisper against the shell of his ear._

_As a hum of energy vibrates against his skin, the hairs on the back of his neck began to stand up. But when he whipped around to see who was messing with him, there was no one. The immediate surroundings were completely devoid of anyone else aside from him…_

_Or at least it seemed so at first, because when he was going to resume his march while shaking his head at being such a scaredy-cat there was a woman in front of him. The sight of her made him gasp and recoil back. Where the hell had she even come from?_

"_You lost my dear?" She lilted._

_Despite the temperature rising by a few degrees, he shivered—his breathing quickened. Her voice was otherworldly; a paradox—sharp and smooth. Hard and soft. Intense, yet mocking._

_She was a head shorter than him, but for some reason his height advantage brought him no comfort._

_The woman couldn't be a day above twenty-five. However, he had the feeling that she was far older than she appeared._

_She was covered in colorful feathers – a cape maybe? On her head she sported what looked like an elaborate headdress of more feathers. The huge insectoid wings that rested on her back seemed too real to be a simple store-bought costume. All of her attire seemed too elaborate to be a simple Halloween costume._

_She was beautiful under the fall moonlight -almost like an angel–, but the cruel amusement in her strange eyes made her look anything but angelic._

_There was something in her purple eyes: something old, knowing, and dark that scared him to his very core. There is nothing soft or friendly coming from those eyes._

"_Don't you know it's dangerous to walk around at night on Samhain?" She asked with a sing-song quality in her voice. _

"_I'm just going home". Jamie wished that his answer had come out stronger._

_She gave him a slow, sharp-toothed grin. "And what have you brought to pass through my woods?"_

"_What?" The boy wants to turn around and leave, but he remained glued to the spot with his eyes wide in genuine surprise. Was this a new Halloween prank he had never heard of before?_

_His gut told him that this was rather unlikely. This woman was dangerous. Something was completely off about her._

"_These were my woods before you pesky humans took over and destroyed it. You take, and take, and take until there's nothing left." Her cold gaze pinned him to the ground, no matter how much he wanted to just book it. "Tonight is the only night where I get to take whatever I want."_

"_Listen, lady, I don't have any money or-"_

"_You have nothing to give? How very careless of you to come to my home without an offering." She mock-admonished him like one would a small child, the wolfish glint in her eyes did not go away for even a second. "Then I guess you will have to stay."_

_That did it. He turned around and started running in the opposite direction._

_A chuckle escaped her lips and hung on the wind. "Well that's not very nice, dearest."_

_Jamie committed the horrible mistake of looking over his shoulder. She disappeared._

_His relief, however, was short-lived for when he turned his attention to the path in front of him there she was again._

_He stopped running abruptly, half-spooked put of his mind._

"_How about a game?" She said playfully, the ice in her eyes growing stronger._

* * *

The bell struck for the fourth time.

He had accepted – not that he had much of an option.

His mother and little sister in the back of his mind reminding him that there was no other choice, he _had_ to get home.

So he started running across the park as fast as his legs could take him, jumping over any obstacle that emerged in his path. He couldn't stop.

'Run through my woods until you reach the establishment with the protection sigil. Inside there is a man you must seek', she had indicated. 'If you reach before the last bell of midnight, you might live long enough to see the sunrise.'

Jamie hadn't even questioned it; something inside him told him that this woman was not joking.

The seventh toll of the bell rang across the park.

He continued on, his mouth and throat dry as a layer of cold sweat covered him. Desperation was slowly building in his chest, a primitive instinct warning him about the fog and whatever it might be hiding.

The boy heard a faint scrabbling in the distance; the rapid flutter of wings and what sounded like claws digging into the ground.

'The devil's own is after you. _Run_ like the _**wind'**_

Something was giving him chase, but he kept on moving. The path was uneven and completely unforgiving, full of gnarled roots jotting out of the ground that made him trip several times as he tried to use his arms to hold his balance.

A peal of laughter echoed around him. It's more than one voice now, and that might be even worse. The boy swore he could see shadows moving alongside him, barely visible against the backdrop of the trees.

_Nine._

Upon seeing the corner of the intersection of Carter Street and Haugh Road, a sob of release escaped his throat as he felt his heart rocket into his chest. The golden interwoven circle in the huge glass window almost felt like a beacon.

_Ten._

Calling upon what little energy remained within him, Jamie pushed forward. The golden letters of "The Warren" on the window of the tattoo parlor a welcoming sight.

_Eleven._

Pushing the handle of the store and passing the threshold, a wave of relief washed over him.

As the last bell of midnight rang Jamie practically collapsed against the door, sliding to the ground and gasping greedily for air as his muscles gave-in into the exhaustion. It almost felt like there wasn't enough air to sooth his burning lungs.

He rested his head between his knees, his gasps now mixing with sobs. His whole body felt completely drained by the fear and adrenaline.

A shadow suddenly covered him and made the poor boy squeak and press his back tighter against the door, his lower lip worrying between his teeth as he held his arms up to shield himself.

The tall lanky man held his hands up and stepped back, showing he meant Jamie no harm.

He saw him move his mouth, but couldn't hear what the guy was saying. The blood rushing through his ears deafened him.

"-dude. It's ok."

Jamie was barely able to catch the words, his mind too sluggish and uncooperative.

"You're safe here". The other guy kneeled down slowly.

"I'm Jack." He introduced himself with an easy smile that somehow was able to sooth his frayed nerves. "You look like you just went through hell back there. What's your name?"

"J-jamie" His voice trembled, words entangled on his too-thick tongue.

"Hey Jamie." Jack said as he sat down cross-legged, pointing at the sigil on the glass window. "You are safe now. They can't enter here due to the wards."

His fragmented and scattered mind harked back to the encounter with the woman in the park, making him shake uncontrollably as a sob got stuck in his throat and his vision was clouded by tears. "That woman…she…s-he was"

"I know this is a lot to take in." Jack explained. "But what just happened to you…we see it all the time. We're here to help those who need protection from them. We have been doing it for years now."

"Who the hell are you?" Jamie's eyes widened. "Are you one of them? How do you know about that woman?!"

"I'm Jack, the guy you're so rudely interrupting. No. And yes I have seen her before." He answered calmly, as if he had done this hundreds of times already. "How about we move to the couch and I let Bunnymund explain everything?"

Almost as if on cue, a large tall man filled the frame of the door that lead to the back room.

"Good, you made it. This year we got lucky." The guy eyed Jamie up and down, looked at Jack and nodded. "Betcha ya got a lot of questions, kiddo, and we promise to answer all them. But first we gotta patch you up. I don't need you bleeding all over my floor."

Jamie inventoried his tired, sore body. There were mainly superficial cuts and scratches but as the adrenaline eased its hold on him he felt the sting and pain licking at his back. He jolted up and scrambled towards the body length mirror against one of the walls. The boy turned his back to the mirror and lifted his shirt – which now looked like a mess of torn dirty fabric. A gasp escaped him.

His back was now covered with angry red scratches and bites there were even a few cuts that were oozing blood.

"How-"

"Nasty little buggers" Bunnymund muttered as he inspected the damage. "Don't worry, will get that cleaned immediately."

"Jack, get the first-aid kit and some hot water from the back." He said over his shoulder and stepped towards a couple of boxes, rummaging through its contents. Jack diligently obeyed.

He suddenly produced a worn-out yet clean grey t-shirt and threw it towards Jamie. "Ya're gonna need this to replace yours. It's completely ruined."

"Who was that woman?" He asked as Jack reappeared with the kit a bowl of water and some towels.

"You better sit down kiddo." Bunnymund gestured towards one of the wooden chairs. "Because yer night is about to get a whole lot more interesting"

* * *

Jamie Bennett bolted towards the interior of the taxi Bunnymund had called for him. Despite the man assuring him that he was safe now, he could not shake the feeling that there was something out there observing his every move.

His arm itched and he had to fight the urge to rip off the saran wrap that covered it. The same logo on the store window was now tattooed on his skin.

'This is a symbol of protection.' Jack had explained as he tapped the matching tattoo that encircled around his neck. 'They can't harm those who have it. It makes you almost invisible to them and it will make them lose your scent.'

Jack had then pressed a couple of talismans on his palm. 'Place them around your house. If you can get your mother and sister to wear them it would be better, but it's a little harder to explain.' He added with a friendly chuckle.

Now that Jamie thought about it, his mom would probably have a fit when she saw the tattoo.

But he could not give two flying hoots after the night he had.

As the cab drove down the street, he swore never to walk alone at night.

There were far more dangerous things out there than simple humans.

He knew that now.

* * *

He puts all the equipment away as Jack tidies up the front of the parlor. Silence has fallen upon them and neither is too willing to break it.

E. Aster Bunnymund had lived through a lot, far too long than any human usually lives.

He had seen the centuries pass and people die as he remains unaffected by it all.

It should have broken him. Driven him mad. It almost did.

But somehow it hadn't. Against the face of despair his convictions of helping as many as he could prevailed. It is what he did back in the day when he was a regular human, living within the boundaries of his village and doing his best to survive another year.

But then destiny had decided to put her in his path. She changed him, made him immortal. She doomed him to an existence as long as hers.

And now that everything was about to end, he couldn't say that he regretted what had become of his life.

"You don't have to go" Jack's voice brought him out of his musings. "We can find another way. There has to be something we can use."

Aster sighed. "We've been over this before, show pony."

"You can't just give up!" Jack said with despair. "There are still people who need your help, who need your protection!"

"And I have helped as many as I could." He stated in an even voice. "And you can continue what I started as long as you choose to. Even if I've tried to tell ya to leave this kind of life while you still can."

"Then let me go instead!" Jack grabbed his shoulder and turned him around.

"Absolutely not!" Bunnymund growled. "I gave my word and I will keep it. And I won't let anyone else die because of me."

His hands were stained with so much blood he could never wash out. He had never hurt any of them, but he had inadvertently become the reason of why she had taken so many people.

"The teind will be paid." He lightly patted Jack's shoulder and walked past him to gather the trash bags to dispose of them on the dumpsters in the alley at the back of the store. He placed them next to the back door so he wouldn't forget them on the way and turned around to face Jack.

The young man had been one of the many he had helped. It had been a cold Samhain night when he too had busted into his tattoo shop with a frightened look not unlike Jamie's. Aster had explained everything to him and instead of thinking him a lunatic he had stayed with him and helped him, learning everything that there was to know about the new world he had discovered that night.

Bunnymund had tried to dissuade him from following in his footsteps. No one should have to live their lives looking over their shoulders. He almost envied those who were not able to see what he could see and were blissfully unaware of what surrounded them.

"My affairs are in order." He stated. "The shop is already under your name as is my house. Do whatever you want with them. Just promise me something…"

"What?" Jack was having a hard time keeping his voice from breaking, tears threatening to overtake him.

"Don't do something as stupid as going out to search for revenge." Aster warned him softly, holding the young man's gaze. "I have lived my life knowing this moment would come and I have made peace with it. Don't blame yourself for not being able to stop it."

Jack had been so hell-bent on finding a way to save him, spending his nights pouring over books, going over every bit of lore in search for a way to get him out of the contract. A loophole. A play on words. Anything. He had even tried to offer himself to her in exchange for Bunnymund's life – Aster had yelled at him so much that night for daring to do something so dangerous.

The young man crossed the room, no longer interested in holding back his sadness and tears at the idea of losing his best friend, and tightly hugged him.

That night when they first met, Bunnymund had given him back his life and helped him. It torn his heart apart to know he couldn't do the same for him.

"Live, Jack. From now on live for yourself and don't think for a second that I resent you." Aster hugged him back, patting his back. "Of all the people I have met throughout my life, you're the most extraordinary. I'm proud of calling you my friend"

Jack openly sobbed. He would miss him.

With one last pat, Bunnymund broke away. He had to do it now before he lost all his courage.

Grabbing the bags, he opened the door and stepped out into the alleyway without looking back.

His time had come.

* * *

Aster sensed her watching him.

Once he had disposed of the trash, he had walked into the park. It was dark and the cold air sipped into his jacket, but he just kept on walking.

He came to a clearing, soon noticing that he wasn't alone anymore.

She appeared in front of him, just as she had done for the first time so many centuries ago – out of nowhere and looking like an apparition conjured by the moon.

"You took your time", the queen of the fae said without malice. "It's not nice to keep a lady waiting."

"People like us hardly measure life in terms of time, your highness" He stared into her eyes, getting lost in the deep rich color.

Aster wasn't afraid of her anymore. He had raged, cowered, cursed and yelled at the thought and sight of her in the beginning. But not anymore.

It is a strange thought that when one comes face to face with death, that they will greet it like an old acquaintance…almost laughable even.

But as the silence stretched between them, Bunnymund could almost swear he saw a hint of melancholy in her eyes – something he had never seen from her in all his years of knowing her.

He had know her in her merriment, and even in her rage – no matter how many lovers she took to her bed, she did not take kindly that one time he dared to take a wife.

When he saw the broken body of the woman who had been brave enough to marry him, Bunnymund had understood that he could never have a life of his own.

He spent a life of solitude, his mind and emotions going through an ever-changing metamorphosis. Anger. Hate. Fear. Contempt. At some point he had even considered himself soulless – fixated on becoming as destructive as her.

Aster had fantasized to hurt her so many times. To wrap his hands around her delicate neck and watch the light extinguish from her eyes in retribution for all the misfortune she had brought him.

Eventually he was able to surface from the ice-cold despair that had seized him.

That's when he came up with their little 'game' – as she had so callously called it.

Whoever was able to reach his door without getting caught, she could not touch.

The thing about the fae is that for being a race unable to lie, they were expert wordsmiths. Yes, they had to make a blood-sacrifice as a teind in order to pay their ties to hell. But that did not mean that they would sacrifice one of their own.

So when he proposed that if she failed to provide a candidate for the tithe he would be the one to be offered, it peaked her interest. Because after all…there is no fae that can resist a good game.

"You know, for a moment, I was tempted to accept your friend's offer." She commented. "Rarely are things offered so freely."

"I'm glad that you didn't." He murmured. "Bloody fool should know better"

She inclined her regal head ever so slightly. "I aim to please."

Aster knew that the only person she would only aim to please was herself.

"Besides, it's always been like this. It's how it was meant to be", she added. "You and me…throughout the centuries"

And she was right. Throughout his years of existence she had been the only constant in his life.

Could he do anything but eventually stop resisting the pull she had on him.

At one point her visits didn't completely fill him with dread. He found her plaguing his thoughts more often. Like a moth attracted to the flame, she enticed him, filling his nightmares but also his dreams.

It was strange, like being mesmerized by a graceful wild animal before it pounces towards you for the kill.

It was not healthy. He knew that.

But maybe after living for so long and through so much, there were parts of him that would always remain twisted, broken and indecipherable.

It mattered little now…at the end.

As he took in the sight of her, Aster swore he could see that hint of sadness again.

Somehow it comforted him.

She offered her dainty, delicate hand towards him and Aster took it without hesitation.

"Farewell, beloved" She said with an eerily calm voice that sounded contrite – or at least that's what he chose to believe-, the dagger in her other hand glinting under the moonlight.

Aster closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He did not see what looked like tears gathering in her eyes.

"Farewell, your Highness" He said with a smile as she buried the dagger into his chest.

* * *

Ta-da! (?). Yeah, different from my usual fluff, but tis' spooky season ˃:)

Hope you liked it nonetheless. Don't forget to R&R!


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